Ranking Warriors' Best Free-Agent Options After Buyout Market Deadline Passes

The buyout market never heated up after all.

A player must be bought out or released by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs. That deadline often leads to many veterans on under-.500 teams getting bought out.

But this year, most veterans stayed put, which is not good news for the Golden State Warriors.

The Dubs have an open roster spot and need rotation help, especially with Stephen Curry (knee) out for at least the next five games and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Will Richard (ankle) out for at least the next game.

The Warriors were surely hoping wings like Matisse Thybulle and Nicolas Batum would be bought out, but that did not happen.

Let's rank the Warriors' top five options for their final roster spot. The ranking is based on a combination of how much help they can provide immediately and if they play a position of need.

Honorable Mentions

Georges Niang, F

Niang has not played this season due to a foot injury, and there's been no indication that he'll be back soon.

Eric Gordon, SG

Gordon has played just six games this season. The 37-year-old might have nothing left in the tank, and even if he does, the Warriors already have enough 6'3"-and-under players.

Lonzo Ball, PG/SG

If Ball were healthy, he'd rank in the top five. But the latest update suggests he's not on the Warriors' radar due to his medical records.

Charles Bassey, C

Golden State could do worse than an energy big like Bassey, who is dropping double-double after double-double for Santa Cruz. But he's not the best center on the free-agent market, and even if he was, ideally the Warriors would get a wing.

5. Tyus Jones, PG

The Mavericks waived Jones on Saturday, and he's easily the best free-agent point guard available.

With a career assist-to-turnover ratio close to 6-to-1, he would be helpful for a Warriors team that struggles with turnovers.

With that said, the Warriors are already one of the smallest teams in the league. Adding a 6'0" guard will make them even smaller.

One could argue Jones would be an upgrade on Pat Spencer. But I wonder how effective Jones would be on a team with such a deficiency in driving talent and rim pressure. Jones isn't much of a creator, so he's probably not what the Warriors need most from a small guard.

They would benefit more from someone who can consistently beat his man off the dribble to get other players open looks.

4. Chris Boucher, C

Boucher started the season with the Celtics before they traded him to the Jazz. Utah released him on Feb. 5, and he's been a free agent ever since.

The 33-year-old played just 94 minutes in Boston, so it's not clear if he's lost a step or if he simply wasn't a good fit there. If he's the same player he was in 2024-25, he'd be plenty valuable for the Warriors.

Last season, Boucher averaged 10.0 points on 36.3 percent from three and 4.5 rebounds.

In four of his last five seasons entering this one, Boucher had a positive net-rating swing, per Cleaning the Glass.

He might be the best player available, but he settles in at No. 4 here because the Warriors already have three stretch 5s. Boucher would likely ride the pine unless Al Horford or Quinten Post suffers an injury.

It's also worth noting that ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported that the Warriors have had no conversations with Boucher about bringing him aboard.

3. Josh Christopher, SG

On Sunday, Christopher dropped 49 points on 19-of-28 shooting (4-of-9 from three) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. That puts his G League scoring average at 22.8 in 25 games.

At 6'4", Christopher is not the ideal height for the Warriors' final roster spot, but the 24-year-old is on such a scoring binge lately that he's worth considering.

He showed the ability to get downhill and score with the Rockets in his first two seasons after being drafted 24th overall in 2021. The issue was his three-point shot never came to the party.

His career NBA three-point percentage is just 27.3.

2. Dalano Banton, G/F

Listed as a point guard, the 6'8" Banton just finished a 10-day contract with the Celtics.

He got significant run with the Trail Blazers last year, averaging 8.3 points and 2.4 assists. But he shot just 39.1 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three.

The 26-year-old has the size to guard wings, and his playmaking would help a Warriors team lacking it it.

But just like with Christopher, he'll need to shoot better from three than he has to this point in the NBA.

Banton's G League three-point percentage this season is just 32.3 percent.

1. Kevin Knox, SF

Knox is best known for being a failed New York Knicks lottery pick in 2018. It's been eight years since he entered the league, and he's still just 26 years old.

He's been lighting up the G League this year with averages of 22.0 points on 43.3 percent three-point shooting and 7.8 rebounds.

Knox finished last season with the Warriors, so he'll be more familiar with Steve Kerr's system than anyone else mentioned in this article.

The big question is whether the three-point shooting improvement is real. His career percentage from downtown in the NBA is just 34.0. But it's not wild to think that he's gotten significantly better at shooting in his age-26 season.